Following Through on an Idea from 7 Years ago

Originally posted March 15, 2010 on fallinpoetry.blogspot.com

I have wanted to do the peace corps for years. I have started the application process several times and have always let myself be dissuaded from it. Education was more important, traveling was too dangerous, 2 years was a very long time...these arguments worked because I had not done my research and really did not know why I wanted to join the peace corps, other than that it might fulfill my desire to do something.

I think that I am a master at not doing something because I allow myself to be talked out of it and then years later (after never really stopping thinking about it) I actually follow through. For almost all of these things it only served to delay the inevitable or put the event off until I could better articulate why I wanted to do the particular activity. Examples include my tattoo-wanted it for 4 years before I finally got it, my nose piercing-wanted for 3 years before I finally got it, study abroad-put off applying to because I was afraid to not graduate in 4 years but ended up doing during a summer, and Peace Corps-have wanted to do since Junior year of High School.

This time I am not going to dissuade myself before doing my research and actually finding out more about the program, process, and without fully exploring and articulating why I am interested in a 27 month stint in another country. I began filling out the application last Friday and already have about 5 hours invested into this process. I will keep you all posted.